Williams' career in jeopardy over second strike drugs test

The career of former Kangaroo and NSW forward Tony Williams appears over with he and another Parramatta teammate understood to have recorded a second strike under the code’s illicit drugs policy.

Williams and utility back Nathan Davis will not be offered new Eels contracts after the pair became embroiled in the NRL’s latest drugs scandal. Both players are understood to have tested positive to cocaine, which if confirmed at a disciplinary hearing this week would be a second strike under the policy and incur an automatic 12-match suspension.

Career in jeopardy: Tony Williams has tested positive for a second time under the NRL's illicit drug's policy.Credit:Parramatta Eels

It is the latest incident to overshadow the NRL finals series after Canterbury was hit with a proposed $250,000 fine for the behaviour of its staff and players during Mad Monday celebrations. South Sydney has also kept the NRL’s integrity unit busy with a lewd video tape scandal from an unidentified woman, just as revelations emerged that forward Zane Musgrove is facing domestic violence allegations.

The Williams and Davis situation is yet another setback in a horror season for Parramatta. The club was hoping to stay out of the headlines after earning the club's third wooden spoon in seven seasons. However, the Eels are now in the process of arranging disciplinary hearings for the pair.

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Parramatta offered Williams a lifeline with a one-year deal at the start of the season. Their faith was tested when he was fined $1000 and had his driver’s license suspended for 12 months after blowing 0.12 during the off-season. After serving a club-imposed two game suspension, the man dubbed T-Rex showed glimpses of his best form in five first-grade appearances. But just as he was returning to full fitness after a series of injury setbacks, the former NSW and Australian forward suffered a season-ending injury with a ruptured ACL.

Williams had hoped he had shown enough in his second stint at Parramatta to justify another one-year deal. However, the Eels have opted to sever ties.

Williams may seek to continue his career in England, but prospective clubs would likely baulk given a 12-match ban would apply to that competition as well. The NRL and the Super League have an agreement for suspensions to apply to both competitions, as evidenced when Ben Barba was forced to sit out 12 weeks for St Helens after recording a second strike to cocaine. Barba has subsequently reignited his career, to the point where he is the favourite to take out the competition’s Man of Steel award before returning to the NRL with the Cowboys next year.

Davis was also off contract and was unlikely to have earned another before the latest incident. The 22-year-old joined Parramatta last year after making eight first-grade appearances for the Gold Coast. He made his Eels NRL debut last against North Queensland last year but has not been able to add to the tally, playing out the remainder of his contract for feeder club Wentworthville Magpies.

Parramatta CEO Bernie Gurr was contacted but declined to comment.

The NRL and the Rugby League Players’ Association are in the process of reviewing its drugs policy as part of the collective bargaining agreement, but there is already a push from clubs for more transparency. The clubs believe they could make more informed choices on prospective signings if they knew whether they had copped a first strike for recreational substances. The issue was raised at a recent meeting of club chief executives, while the Rugby League Players’ Association believes a 12-game ban is too harsh as it effectively rubs offenders out for half a season.

The latest drug scandal will raise questions about the culture at Parramatta after players displayed a lack of discipline on-and-off the field in 2018.